Hidden battery “covers”

[mik]

Inherited a clip-on ammeter when my dad passed away some years ago. I’ve never had a real need to use it, so although I’ve looked at it - confused - several times, I’ve never got round to solving my “where the fuck do the batteries go?” Question.

So at the weekend I removed the one visible screw, and tried to prize it apart. Nope.

Eventually found an old manual on the web for a similar model. Remove the screw, allowing you to then remove the clamp handle, which provides access to the (9V) battery.

OBVIOUSLY!

I then assumed it wasn’t working as I tried clamping it around the cable to my kettle - which will be drawing around 13A (when on - duh) but it showed zero. Schoolboy error - if you have both live and neutral clamped the fields cancel each other out - need to measure only on or the other. Tried it on the mains feed to the meter - it works.

So now when I put it away / I don’t want to leave the battery in as I’ll undoubtedly not use it again for years…. really handy having to remove the handle to take the battery back out

[Swervin_Mervin]

[V8Granite]

They will make it intrinsicly safe, it’s why you won’t see Android phones being used to take pictures in dangerous areas, they use special cameras or iPhones/ iPads etc. basically the battery can’t fall out.

Dave!